Mechanical window cleaner



numeral indicates a flat Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOHAN BERNHARD, OF NEW YGRK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL WINDOW CLEANER.

Application filed April 25, 1927. Serial No. 187,135.

The main object of the invention is to pro videa window cleaning devicewhich has a swab which is reciprocated vertically by a hand operatedcrank arm, and is adapted to be used for cleaning the outer surfaces ofa window pane from within the room thus eliminating the necessity of oneto step on the sill of the window, in this way preventing possibleinjury or the danger thereof.

Another object of the i vention is to pro vide a window cleaning;apparatus which is provided with'a swab which reciprocates verticallyand is also provided with a drying blade mounted on the swab whichremains inactive while the swab is normally operating and is rotated tooperative position at the same time that the swab is moved to theinactive position by the operation of a cable which is located at aconvenient position for the operator who must constantly rotate a crankwhich moves the swab mechanism.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the descriptionbelow in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in thedrawing. 7

Referring briefly to the drawing, Figure l is a top plan view of thewindow cleaner.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevational view through the windowcleaner carriage showing the means for reciprocating the cleaner swab, jFigure 3 is a front elevational view of Figure 1 showing the devicesupported on one end of the platform. 7

Figure 4} is a side elevational view of the window cleaner. 1 V j Figure5 is. a partly sectioned side elevational view of the swab tippingmechanism,

the view showing theswab'in operative position.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the swab tipping mechanism,showing the swab tipped and the dryer blade in operative position.

Figure is a fragmentary view of Figure 6 showing the swab in operativeposition.

Referring in detail to thefdrawing, the plate which may be of a lengthsomewhat less than the width of the window on which the device is to beused, and serves as the platforinon which the remainder of the deviceslides. At the corners of the platform studs 11, threaded thruouttheirlength, aremounted, and each stud has a pair of wing nuts 1.2,engage'dthereon. A pair of guard rails 13 and 14 nism is located. The end 29joined at their ends, have their ends seated on one of the wiugnutsl2 ofeach pair, and the rails maybe adjusted vertically along the length ofthe threaded studs 11 to suit the needs required for overcoming anyobstructions on the window. frame. The guide rai s'are of hollowconstruction having an upper and lower ledge between which rollers 15are positioned. These rollers ride the entire length of the guide railsand support a. movable carriage 16 which projects above the guide rails.

A movement carrie'r l? is mounted on the carriage and is provided with apair of slots 18 which are positioned on each side of the carrier andreceive screws 19011 which guide plates 20 are mounted, the plateresting partly in the slots 18 and serve as a guide for the carrier,which isslidable across the carriage.

A pair of upright guides 21 and 22 have their lower ends secured to thecarrier 17 and are connectedat their upper ends to a bloclr23. Betweenthese upright guides a worm 25 having a helical channel 26is p0-sitioned. The upper end of the worm 25 is journalled in the block 23andits lower end is seated in a thrust bearing" 27 which rides on acomplemental raceway 28. The lower end 29 of the worm extends below thefloor 30 of the carrier. This floor 30is raised above the portion of thecarrier having the slots 18, the spacetherebeneath formsahousing 31 inwhich the worm rotatiii'g mechaof the worm 25 has a bevel gear 32attached thereto and is positioned within the housing 31 and concealedfrom view. 'One end of a tube 33c tends to the carrier 30 and itsextreme end terminates in a sleeve 36 which issecured directly to thecarrier- This tubing hasa spindle 34 rotatably mounted therein which hasa bevel pinion 35 secured to its end,jthe pinion being adapted to lie inmesh with the bevel gear Said spindle is rotatably sup ported in abearing block 37, which latter depends from the floor of the carrier andis rigidly secured thereto.

The spindle 34 has a bevelled pinion at its opposite end which isindicated by the numeral 37 and this pinion lies in mesh with abevelgear38 on which a crank arm39 is mounted. The tubeBS extendsbeyondthe bevel gear 38 and has a handle lO'fixed to its extreme end, asis indicated in Figure a. i A block 24 is slidable between the guidesand 25 3 andhas the worm 25 passing there fromthe bottom of thecontainer,

The opposite end through, the block having a member engaged in thehelical groove or channel 26 so that as the worm is rotated the block24: will be raised or lowered according to the direction of rotation ofthe worm. The block has a pair of arms 41 and 42 extending forwardlytherefrom whose ends are spaced apart from each other and havea swab 43pivotally mounted between them. Thisswab consists of a hollow containerwhich is adapted to fill with water after a cover ll is opened. Theouter face of the container has a pad 45 mounted in holes thereon sothat con1mun1cation is had withthechambcr in the container and the pad.lVhen the pad is positioned vertically onthe swab body a rubber dryerplate l6 is mountedin alchannel and depends the channelmemberbeingindicated by the numeral e7. This dryerblade is'adapted'to'berotated to the position that the swab assiunes by a "mechanism whichwillbe hereinafter -described.

lever 48 is pivoted intermediate its length on a'stud 49 whichispositioned betweenthenrms and anchored on the latter. This lever isbentupwardly intermediate its length and at the extremity of thisupwardly bent end a hinge sleeve 50 is formed. A link 51 is hingedlyconnectedto the sleeve 50 at one end and the opposite end is similarlyconnected to the hinge plate 53 which is mounted on the side of the swabcover 44. oi the lever 48 extends toward the block 24; and has oneendotacoil spring 54 secured thereto, the spring extending downwardly andbeing anchored to'thelower end'of theblocl; '24 by any desirable means.An ear 55 extends downwardly from the lever 48 and is positionedorlocated where the inclined portion meets the horizontal portionthereof. This ear has ahinge earodconstructed at its lower end. Thespring is adapted to normally retain the surface of the swab body havingthepad 45 thereon in a vertical plane, as is indicated in Figure 5. y

At the top of the member 23 ashort curved lever 57 is pivotally mountedin the bifurcated portion of a lugwhich surmounts said member 23 andindicated by the numeral 58. This lever is normally retained insubstantially upright position by :a coil spring 59 which has one endsecured to the lever and the other end secured to theblock23.

A shifter bar 60 is pivotally suspended from the lever 57 and extendsdownwardly behind the worm 25 to the carrier floor 30. Two legs 61 passthru openings 62 formed inthe block 24 and at one end are joined by abrace 63 which has a loop 63 formed inter mediate its length thru whichpasses the shifter bar 60, the loop being slidable on the shifter barthruout the length of said bar. The lower end of the shifter bar ispivotally mounted on theend o't' a pivoted shortlever (S-l,the oppositeend of the latter being pivotally secured to the root 30 ot the carrier.it cablelio is connected to the pin which pivotally joins the shifterbar to the lever 64:. lhis cable passes around a pulley G6 which latteris rotatably mounted on the floor 30 oi the carrier and thence passesinto the housing 31 and then into a tube (37 which terminates at aposition adjacent the handle 4-0 from which end the cable extendssomewhat so that it may be manipulated.

The device is adapted for use in cleaning the outside surfaces of windowpanes. The platiornrlt) has a dimension slightly less than the width ofthe window frame and has a carriage 16 mounted on rollers 15, movablethereon. This carriagesupports a carrier 17 which is 'slidabletransversely across the carriage so that the swab may be moved toward'oraway from the surface of the window pane. By rotatingithe crank '39,

the'gear 38 is turned. This transmitsrotationto the'pinion 37which inturn rotates the spindle being mounted 3d and pinion 35, the latter onthe end of the spindle within the housing of the carrier. Theworm 25having the bevel gear 82 at its lower end is rotated by the rotatingspindle and moves the feeder block (to which it is engaged) upwardly ordownwardly as desired.

I claim:

1. In a window cleaner, a ilatplatform, rails adjustably mounted on saidplattor1n,a carriage movable along said rails, wheels on said carriagehoused and movable in said rails, a carrier slidable in said carriagetransversely, vertical U-shaped guides on said carrier, 'a rotatableworm located between said guides, a block engaging said worm and beingraised and lowered thereby, a swabbody mounted on said block, a dryerplate located at one corner of said body, means for tilting said body torotate the dryer plate degrees, and means for rotating said worm toraise and lower the swab body.

2. In a window cleaner, a hat platform, rails adpistably mounted on saidplatform,

a carriage movable along said rails, wheels on said carriage housed andmovable in said rails, a carrier slidable transversely across saidcarriage, spaced-apart guides extending vertically and mounted rigid onsaid carrier. a cylindrical worm rotatable between said guides having ahelical channel therciin a.

block slidahle between said guides having the worm passing therethroughand being raised and lowered by the latter, a swab bodv rotatablymounted on said block. a pad being located at the side of the swab bodywhen the latter is in normal position, a dryer plate on the swab bodynormally in denendina position, and manually retract able meansengagingthe brush body for tiltllll lull

ing the brush body 90 degrees at any position along the length of theWorm.

In a window cleaner, a flat platform, rails adjustably mounted on saidplatform, a wheeled carriage movably mounted on said rails, a carrierslidably mounted on said can.

riage having a pair of guides spaced apart extending verticallytherefrom, a Worm rotatable between said guides, a block engaging saidworm and movable vertically between said guides, a swab body rotatablysupported on said block having a dryer plate mounted thereon, said platebeing normally in suspended position, means for rotating the brush body90 degrees to shift the dryer plate to the side position, comprising acurved lever mounted above said Worm, a coil spring normally retainingsaid lever in upright position, a shifter bar suspended from said lever,a lever fixed pivotally on said carrier and pivotally connected to theshifter bar, hinged member connected hingedly to the swab body, andwires connected to the hinge members and slidably connected to theshifter bar, said Wires passing thru the block, and a cable connected tothe shifter bar for pulling the latter downwardly to rotate said leverto shift the shifter bar farther from the worm to pull on said Wires androtate the swab body.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

J OHAN BERNHARD.

